River cruiser gutted in mystery boat blaze (From Worcester News)

River cruiser gutted in mystery boat blaze

8:30am Saturday 7th November 2009

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A RIVER cruiser caught fire during a dramatic boat blaze on the river Avon at Strensham Lock.

The causes of the blaze which gutted the large boat on Thursday evening remain a mystery and are still being investigated by the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.

Fire crews from Upton, Evesham, Worcester, Pershore and Stourport attended the blaze after they responded to a 999 call at around 5.24pm.

Eyewitness Peter Read was first alerted by 13-year-old daughter Lizzy who saw the flames as she went outside to feed her rabbits.

Mr Read was then able to film the blaze on an HD camera from a nearby field as flames rose 30 feet into the air, causing a series of three to four explosions and scorching vegetation around where the boat was moored.

Mr Read said: “There was somebody on a boat nearby frantically trying to get their boat away from the fire so it didn’t spread. It was quite dramatic. The most interesting thing was that it was bonfire night and we had a fair view of this blaze with fireworks going off in the distance. It was quite surreal.”

There was another boat fire nearby in May following a freak fuel accident which involved a man leaping to safety with his hair on fire.

One boat collided with another boat setting it on fire as well.

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